LOGINAUTHOR’S POV. The boardroom was filled long before the meeting officially began, yet there was an unmistakable tension hanging in the air, thick and suffocating, as if everyone present could feel that something was about to go terribly wrong. Murmurs passed between board members, hushed conversations layered with unease, eyes flicking repeatedly toward the empty head seat at the far end of the long polished table. Xavier’s seat. Still empty. One of the older board members cleared his throat, glancing at his watch. “It’s unlike him to be late,” he muttered, though his voice carried just enough for those closest to him to hear. Another leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Given the rumors circulating… I’m not entirely surprised.” “What rumors?” “That he’s ill. Seriously ill.” Before the conversation could deepen, the doors to the boardroom opened. All heads turned. Lilith walked in first, composed, elegant, her chin lifted with quiet confidence, and beside her… a man no one i
AUTHOR’S POV. Aurora stood at the doorway of Jaxon’s room for a moment before stepping fully into the room. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm light across the space, illuminating two small figures curled under the same blanket. Even though they had separate rooms, Elara had refused to sleep alone since Jaxon came home. Aurora had not argued. She couldn’t. Not when she understood exactly what it meant for both of them. Elara lay on her side, facing Jaxon, her hand loosely holding onto his sleeve as if she was afraid he might disappear if she let go. Jaxon, on the other hand, was half-turned toward her, his breathing steady, his face peaceful in a way Aurora had never seen before. For a second, Aurora just stood there, watching them, her chest tightening with something too big to name. Then she walked in quietly. “Alright,” she said softly, pulling the blanket up properly over them. “Time for bed.” Elara looked up first. “Mommy, we’re already in bed,” she said, h
AUTHOR’S POV. Days later, the air in the hospital room felt lighter, calmer, almost like the storm had finally begun to settle. Jaxon sat upright on the bed, his legs swinging slightly as he looked around with curious, bright eyes that no longer carried that dull, lifeless weight they once held. The color had fully returned to his face, his breathing steady, his small fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blanket as though he was still trying to adjust to feeling… normal again. Aurora stood close to him, her arms folded tightly across her chest, but it wasn’t out of coldness. It was restraint. If she let herself, she would pull him into her arms and never let him go again. Dr. Halvorsen stood at the foot of the bed, flipping through Jaxon’s chart, his expression calm but clearly impressed. “Well,” he said, glancing up at Aurora, “I must say, this is one of the fastest recoveries I’ve seen from something this severe.” Aurora let out a quiet breath she didn’t even realize s
AUTHOR’S POV. A couple of hours later, the air inside Jaxon’s hospital room felt… different. It wasn’t the sterile quiet anymore, or the suffocating tension that had wrapped itself around every breath taken in that space over the past days. There was still silence, yes…but it wasn’t heavy. It wasn’t suffocating. It felt… hopeful. Aurora sat beside the bed, her fingers wrapped tightly around Jaxon’s small, fragile hand, as though letting go—even for a second—might undo everything they had fought so hard for. Her thumb brushed over his skin again and again in slow, careful motions, like she was grounding herself, like she needed to feel him there to believe this was real. Because it was real. The color was coming back. It was faint, barely noticeable if you weren’t looking closely, but Aurora noticed. Of course she did. She noticed the slight warmth returning to his cheeks, the subtle change in his breathing, the way his chest rose a little stronger than before. He was still unc
AUTHOR’S POV. Aurora didn’t hesitate the moment she stepped fully into the room, the door clicking softly behind her as the world outside seemed to fall away, leaving only the steady hum of machines and the fragile boy lying on the hospital bed, and for a second, she just stood there, staring at him, her chest rising and falling unevenly as the weight of everything settled deeper into her bones. That was her son, her child. Seven years. Seven years stolen. Her steps were slow at first, almost uncertain, like she was afraid that if she moved too fast, this would all disappear like a cruel illusion, but then something inside her snapped into place, something fierce and unyielding, and she closed the distance between them quickly, reaching for him. Her fingers wrapped around Jaxon’s small hand, her grip tightening instinctively, like she needed to feel him, to confirm he was real, and the moment her skin touched his, something broke inside her. She sank into the chair beside his
AUTHOR’S POV. Aurora’s eyelids fluttered open slowly, her vision blurred at first, the bright overhead lights stinging her eyes as consciousness returned in fragments, her body feeling heavier than usual, like something had drained every ounce of strength from her, and for a few seconds, she simply lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to piece together where she was and how she got there. There was a faint, rhythmic beeping somewhere to her left, steady and clinical, and then she felt it—the warmth. A hand wrapped around hers, it felt firm and careful, almost…afraid. Her gaze shifted, her head turning slightly on the pillow, and that was when she saw him. Xavier. He was seated beside her bed, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his hand holding hers like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go, and the moment their eyes met, something in his expression shifted—relief, exhaustion, guilt—all crashing into one. Aurora frowned faintly, her brow
The ambulance screeched into the hospital bay. Nurses rushed out. Doctor Henry was already waiting with a surgical team.“Mr. Steele,” he said swiftly. “We must take her in immediately. Internal injuries. Possible brain trauma. We need to operate now.”Xavier nodded, but his eyes were glued to Auro
Xavier stood frozen for a moment, still staring at the closed door of Aurora’s room. His chest felt tight, his pulse thundering in his ears. Aurora’s scream… the way she looked at him like he was a threat… it was shredding him from the inside.Dr. Henry touched his arm gently.“Mr. Steele… let’s g
The sirens were still screaming when Xavier’s car tore onto the abandoned street, tires skidding across cracked pavement. The place looked exactly as he remembered it, empty shells of buildings, metal rods jutting out like broken bones, dust swirling in the afternoon sun.But today it felt more li
Her blood ran cold.Lilith.Her breath caught halfway into her lungs, suspended painfully somewhere between fear and fury. The name on her screen pulsed like a threat.“What the…?” she whispered, barely aware of her own voice.Why was she calling?Why now…exactly when Aurora had been thinking about







